kieby



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. KIRBY, Jr. BERTH CURTAIN ROD FIXTURE.

N0. 603,643. Patented May 10,1898.-

in AHE 5L Invenlm.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

- J OHNKIRBY, JR, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAYTON MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BERTH CURTAI N-ROD FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0."603,643, dated May 10, 1898.

Application filed December 6, 1897. Serial No. 660,992. tNo model.) I

following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to curtain-rod fixtures for folding berths in sleeping-cars and other conveyances, and is contradistinguished from the invention described and claimed in United States Letters Patent No. 518,958, issued to me May 1, 1894, principally in that the rods of the herein-described invention are perma nently attached to the brackets, each rod being supported by two brackets, one at either end thereof, and are movable therewith in and out of the open deck-space, while in the invention described in said patent the rods are detachable from their supporting-brackets for the purpose of storing them within the berths during the daytime, each bracket supporting one end of two rods and consisting of a single rigid arm adapted to slide on a fixed line to and fro through a hollow sleeve attached to the berth structure and on a crossline through the center of the berth-partition, the brackets of the present invention being composed of arms whose limit of movement is not confined by such fixed lines and which can be mounted on the sides of the berthpartitions without cutting away any portion thereof.

This invention has for its object a simple and efficient means whereby the rods and brackets may be concealed, or practically so, from View during the day, when the berths are not in use, without the necessity of removing the rods from their supports on the brackets or swinging them into the inclosed berth-spaces, which are required for other purposes, and whereby they may be readily drawn out into the deck-spaces to receive the berth-curtains when the berths are made up at night.

The means employed for carrying out my 7 invention will be fully described in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings Figure 1 is a perspective vlew of one full upper berth and portions of two adjoining berths of an ordinary sleeping-car with my improved fixture applied, the full berth being shown in a down position, with the curtain-rod drawn out into the deck-space and one of the removable headboards in position, these several features being illustrated in their respective positions when the berth is made up for use at night, the two other berths being shown closed and their respective curtain-rods in the position they occupy when the berths are closed and not in use, a por tion of one of the closed berths being broken away for the purpose of showing one ofthe brackets in the said latter position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of Fig. 1, above the line X X thereof, the several berths be,- ing shown closed and the curtain-rods withdrawn from the deck-space. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through a portion of the upper deck and through the apron-piece on theline Y Y of Fig.2; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the double bushings employed to form a finish on the deck-rail and apron -''piece and showstwo slotted openings through which brackets mounted on each side of each berth-partition operate:

. Like characters of reference indicate corresponing parts in all the figures ofthe drawings, in which 1 A is the side wall of a sleeping-car; B, the lower-deck ceiling thereof; O,partitions which separate the upper berths and whichextend from the side wall of the car to a line with the face ofthe berths when closed.

D is a removable headboard-one of which is employed at each berth-partition, and which are supported on seat-backs E to form continuations of partitions O when the berths are lowered.

F represents the upper berths, two of which in Fig. 1 are shown closed and one open or lowered and supported in such position by means of the usual spring pulley G and chain H.

I represents the upper-deck sill; J, upperdeck rail K, apron-piece L, molding forming a finish above the deck-rail; M, upper-deck ceiling, and N the upper-deck sash.

All of the aforesaid parts being of usual form and construction form in themselves no part of my invention.

Arms or brackets O are arranged in pairs on the inside of each upper berth, the same being mounted on the end partition or walls of same. The outer ends of these brackets terminate in hat-hooks 1 and coat-hooks 2, a curtain-rod P being secured to and between each pair of brackets, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and which brackets operate through slots or openings 3, cut through the woodwork, and through slots or openings 4 of metallic bushings Q, recessed in and secured to the woodwork, as more clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the bushings being by preference made double, so that a single casting forms a separate guide for two brackets, one on each side of each partition, except where there is but i one berth in a roomas, for example, in stateings will suffice.

rooms-and at the extreme ends of a series of berths arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where bushings having single slots or open- Below the deck-rail, attached to or forming part of the apron-piece, a molding 5 extends lengthwise of the berths, preferably from end to end of each single berth or series thereof. The top side of this molding is provided with a longitudinal groove or pocket 6 to receive the curtain-rods and conceal the same from the sight of passengers when the berths are closed, the facelines of said bushings being comformable with those of the woodwork to which they are attached, thereby forming a neat and desirable finish. To the inner ends of the brackets O are pivoted at 7 arms 8, which are likewise pivoted at 9 to other arms 10, and these latter arms are pivoted at 11 to plates R, screwed to the berth-partition, as shown at the right-hand side in Fig. 1, or they may be pivoted directly to the partition, as shown at 12 on the left-hand side in same figure; but I prefer the use of the plates, as the fixture is thereby made more substantial and is more readily applied.

Guides 13 and 14 are secured to the parti tions or to plates R, where the latter are employed, and through which the brackets O and arms 10 are free to partake of the peculiar movement of the jointed arms when the brackets are being drawn out into the deckspace and removed therefrom, the guide 13 forming a stop for the brackets when the same are drawn forward to the position shown at the full berth in Fig. 1.

It will be observed that to withdraw the rods from the groove or pocket 6 they must first be raised to clear the top side of the molding 5, and that the same operation is necessary in returning the rods to place within the groove, and to provide for which the slots 3 and 4 are of suitable length to permit of such upward movement of the brackets, the under edges of which when the brackets are drawn out have bearings on the metallic plates 15 of the bushings Q, and which may be secured in their outward positions by any suitable fastenings, the berths being provided with the usual catches for holding them closed, neither of such fastenings being deemed necessary of illustration or description herein. The berths are pivoted at each end thereof to their respective partitions or walls in the usual manner, and as shown (dotted) at 16 in Fig. 1 at the right-hand end of the open berth therein.

For the purpose of illustrating and describing my invention I have selected a sleepingcar of ordinary construction; but it is to be understood that the device is equally adaptable to other places where similar forms of berths are used, and it will be further observed that a fixture for one berth is independent of that of another and that the hat and coat hooks of one fixture can be drawn out into the deck-space, leaving those of an adjoining fixture back against the deck-rail or apron-piece, and in this respect my present invention is a desirable improvement over that described in said Patent No. 518,958.

I am familiar with the devices shown and described in United States Letters Patent Nos. 275,164., 440,657, and 440,658, and I disclaim the constructions shown and described in said patents. It is obvious, however, that the details of the within-described invention may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof-as, for example, the jointed arms 8 and 10 may be omitted and the brackets 0 arranged to slide in suitable guides, or the arm 10 may be discarded and the then free end of arm 8 pivoted to the berth-partition or to the plate R; but I have demonstrated by practical experiments that neither of such constructions operate as freely or as satisfactorily as do the brackets having the folding arms arranged as shown and described herein; but I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described.

What I claim is- 1. For use in connection with a folding berth, a pair of brackets or arms, a curtainrod secured to the outer ends thereof and adapted to be moved out into the deck-space when the berth is to be made up for use, and a receptacle formed on the adjacent car structure, the receptacle being in open communication with the deck-space to receive the rod and in which the latter is concealed from view when the berth is not in use.

2. In a berth curtain-rod fixture for sleeping-cars, a pair of brackets, slotted bushings fixed to the car structure and forming communication between the interior berth-space and the deck-space, and in which bushings the said brackets slide and have bearings, a curtain-rod secured to and movable with the brackets out into the deck-space when the berth is to be made up for use and when the berth is not in use adapted to be moved back out of the deck-space, in combination witha receptacle attached to or forming part of the woodwork of the deck for receiving and concealing the rod from view.

3. In aberth curtain-rod fixture, a curtainrod secured to the outer ends of a pair of brackets adapted to slide through the apronpiece adjacent to the deck-rail, and whose inner ends are in pivotal connection with arms which are pivoted to the berth-partitions, whereby the said brackets with the attached rod may be drawn out into the deckspace when the berth is to be made up for use, and moved back out of the deck-space when the berth is not in use.

4. In a berth curtain-rod fixture, a curtainrod secured to the outer ends of a pair of brackets whose said outer ends terminate in one or more hooks upon which clothing may be hung, and which brackets are adapted to slide through suitable openings in the car structure, and whose inner ends are in pivotal connection with arms pivoted to the berth-partition, whereby the said rod and the said brackets, together with the hooks formed thereon, may be drawn out into the deck-.

space when the berth is to be made up for use, and moved back out of the deck-space when the berth is not in use.

5. In a berth curtain-rod fixture, a pair of brackets, each of which is mounted on the inside of one of two berth-partitions and adapted to slide through suitable openings cut through the apron-piece adjacent to the deck-rail, guides for said brackets,'acurtainrod secured at each end thereof to the outer ends of the brackets, whereby the said rod may be drawn out into the deck-space when the berth is to be made up for use, and a receptacle formed on the adjacent car structure: the receptacle being in open communication with the deck-space to receive the rod, and in which the latter is concealed from view when the berth is not in use.

6. In a sleeping-car having a plurality of folding berths arranged in horizontal line with and separated from each other by suitable partitions, a pair of movable brackets arranged in each berth and connected together at their outer ends by a curtain-rod secured thereto, thus enablingthe said brackets to be moved in unison, one or more hooks formed on the outer end of each of said brackets, and upon which to hang clothing, whereby each of said rods and its adjacent hooks may be separately drawn out into the deck-space when the berth is to be made up for use, and

the rod moved back against the car structure when the berth is not in use, and whereby when the rod is in the latter position its accompanying hooks will cooperate with the hooks at the adjoining ends of the next fixtures to present the appearance of a group or cluster of such hooks mounted on the car structure.

7. As an improvement in berth curtain-rod fixtures for sleeping-cars, fixed end walls of a folding berth, a pair of brackets each of which is mounted on or adjacent to one of said walls on the inside thereof, slotted bushin gs secured to the car structure and in which the said brackets have bearings and are adapted to slide, a curtain rod secured to said brackets and connecting the same together at the outer ends thereof, whereby the brackets may be moved in unison and the rod drawn out into the deck-space, in combination with a suitable receptacle formed on the adjacent car structure and in which the rod may be stored when the berth is not in use.

8. As an improvement in berth curtain-rod fixtures for sleeping-cars, fixed end walls of a folding berth, a pair of brackets pivotally connected with said walls by folding arms, slotted bushings secured to the car structure and in which the brackets have bearings and are adapted to slide, a curtain-rod secured to said brackets and connecting the same together at the outer ends thereof, whereby the brackets may be moved in unison and the rod drawn out into the deck-space, in combination with a suitable receptacle formed on the adjacent car structure and in which the rod may be stored when the berth is not in use.

9. In a sleeping-car having a folding berth adapted to close against the under side of the deck-rail or apron-piece adjacent thereto, a receptacle formed on the car structure above the berth, in combination with a curtain-rod for supporting curtains in front of the berth when the same is made up for occupancy and adapted to be stored in the receptacle when the berth is closed and not in use.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 4th day of December,

7 JOHN KIRBY, JR. In presence of O. U. RAYMOND, H. S. MILLER. 

